Australian Club, 100-110 William Street, Melbourne
Butler, Graeme1985
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Title:
Australian Club, 100-110 William Street, Melbourne
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Date of work:
1985
Reference number:
BIF-CITY 110148
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Item from Collection: Heritage Collection (HC)
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Graphic materialsTextual material
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Series: Central City (BIF-CITY)
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UnrestrictedOpen access.
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UnrestrictedPlease contact City of Melbourne Libraries about obtaining permission to reproduce images.
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RESEARCH ADDED BY GRAEME BUTLER 2024:__________________________________________________Period: Early Victorian/ VictorianDATE: 1879- (1878-9, 1884, 1890-3); ASSOCIATIONS: Thomson, Alex via Australian Club;DESIGNERS: Tayler, Lloyd; Wilson & CharlesworthBUILDER: Paine, James ; Gray, Robert; Smith, William; Tye, Thomas - mason; Higginbotham, Thomas; Laurance, James1884; Ware, William; McIntosh, D H & W A 1890-1.VICTORIA HERITAGE REGISTER H0105Last updated on - March 3, 2000What is significant?The Australian Club, 110 William Street, was founded in 1878. The present clubrooms were erected in three stages and comprise four storeys with a basement and attic. Construction is of rendered brick on a bluestone base. Lloyd Tayler, himself a member of the club, was the architect for the first two stages erected in 1879 and 1884, comprising the William Street frontage. In 1885 Tayler fell out with the club and was asked to leave. In 1886 the facade was extended to double its original size to designs by architect J Charlesworth. The new work cost 10,000 pounds, and placed a great financial burden on the club, especially when membership numbers dwindled during the economic depression of the 1890s. The symmetrical facade is thinly rendered and draws heavily on the architecture of the Renaissance for its styling, including a rusticated base and pedimented window hoods. The balustraded parapet hides the steeply pitched slate clad roof and cupola with lace iron decorating the ridges. Internally there is lavish decoration, an intricate mosaic floor, ornamented timber panelling and a grand five metre wide marble stair with wrought iron lamp standards. The vast ground floor dining room, approximately 30 metres long by 15 metres wide, has stained oak Baroque fireplaces, Corinthian columns on marble bases, and an ornamental beam and plaster ceiling. The richness of decoration is continued into the private dining rooms, smoking room and billiard room. Membership of the Australian Club contrasted to membership of the Melbourne Club, the bankers and squatters who had formed the first elite in Melbourne society. The Australian Club gathered the new elites for its members: merchants, bankers, lawyers and squatters who made money from the rise of 'marvellous Melbourne'.How is it significant?The Australian Club is of historical and architectural significance to the State of Victoria.Why is it significant?The Australian Club is historically significant as one of Melbourne's most distinguished and exclusive institutions. The Australian Club has continuously occupied these premises for over a century, and in the nineteenth century was known as the domain of the wealthy squatters. Membership attracted men who had made money from the rise of Melbourne in the 1850s and 1860s and members came from a cross-section of the new business elites.The Australian Club is architecturally significant as a notable example of the work of two architects, Lloyd Tayler and J Charlesworth. Most of the significant internal spaces and decoration were the work of Charlesworth. They are the grandest and most intact Victorian clubrooms in Australia, and far more opulent than the Melbourne Club designed by Leonard Terry more than twenty years previously. When completed, the Australian Club was the most imposing building in William Street and had a striking silhouette. Notable elements include the portico and loggia, which date from 1893, and the exotic roof and cupola. The magnificent interior is a superb example of Victorian taste and craftsmanship, centred around the grand marble staircase.________________________GRAEME BUTLER 1985 MELBOURNE CENTRAL ACTIVITIES DISTRICT CONSERVATION STUDYBUILDING IDENTIFICATION FORM cites source 80;_______________________________________REID, KEITH & JOHN R, 1976, MELBOURNE CBD STUDY AREA 7 (source 80)Built: 1879 (29)Architect: Lloyd Taylor (stage 1 & 2)Wilson & Charlesworth (Stage 3)DESCRIPTION: 4 storey Club building with basement and attic.ALTERATIONS: Extension along Chancery Lane 1884.Building doubled to present size with Stage 3 extensions c.1894.CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS: Brick structure rendered to stone, appearance on facades, timber floors and slate roof.CITYSCAPERELATIONSHIP: A building of individual value and essential to the streetscape of the William Street Precinct.RECOMMENDATION: Essential for retention.CHRONOLOGY:1878 Originally designed by Lloyd Taylor, Architect and member of the Club - commissioned 28th May Sketch plans presented 9th July. Working drawings approved 16th August. Tender of 15,054 pounds accepted.1879 Completion date August 1st.1884-5 Minor extension to Chancery Lane (little Collins Street) side for a cost of 2,240 pounds.At the same time, the extension was proposed along William Street, but Taylor 'fell foul' of the Club and was asked to leave.1884 The Club was adjoined by vacant land and brick houses, and owned the adjoining block, intended as the Club garden, and where the final extensions took place. This was listed as vacant land (2) until 1893.1889 Competition to complete the building, won by Wilson & Charlesworth, Architects.C1894 Building completed.1913 A fire occurred in the service and staff quarters on the 3rd and 4th floors, and the Club was closed for four months during reinstatement.DescriptionThe facade is brick, thinly rendered to appear as stone, together with brick base structure and a bluestone plinth insert. Heavily Renaissance in style, it has an imposing entry porch relieved by an open, arched loggia aver 0 The exotic, high pitched slate roof crowned with iron lace and cupola is lost behind a too-large balustraded parapet. '!he upper floor is defined between the parapet and a projecting cornice with delicately corbelled support which relieves the mass of facade below.Internally the building has a variety of ·interesting spaces. The main entry hall has an intricate mosaic floor, timber· panelling and delicate, organically ornamented metal/plaster dado. Ceilings are decorated beam and panels and at approximately 7 metres high. A grand 5 metre wide stair rises up the centre and sweeps around to wide flights to above. It is marble to the first floor and timber above with wrought iron balustrading and large polished handrail. The marble base newels are surmounted by grass, baroque wrought iron lamp standards.Various -well-proportioned rooms occur around the ground floor including a reception room, private dining rooms, card room, library and 'strangers' room, with ornamental plaster beam and panel ceilings and elaborate s· timber fireplaces, the former containing mural wall panels by 'Lady Casey‘s great auntThe dining room on the ground floor is approximately 30 metres long by 15 metres wide. Spaced along its walls are five baroque fireplaces of stained oak with Corinthian columns and marble bases. The ornamental beam and panel plaster ceiling has three highlights, flat cupolas each and a central, figured glass dare framed with curved timber.The first floor contains smoking room, private dining rooms, a more recent internal coffee space with freestanding coffers and ornamental vaulted ceiling, and a lofty billiard room capped by a baroque, rectangular lantern over 8 metres long.The second and third floors contain members' bedrooms each with -fireplaces and flush ceilings. The kitchen on' the south-east Corner of the third floor, an old room with some modern equipment which services dining rooms below by dumb waiter and one post-1900 service lift. The kitchen was allegedly placed here to avoid cooking odours affecting the dining areas. Exhaust is via an immense funnel like the inside of an oast house.At the north end of the building there is an early cable lift, the cabin being timber panelled and mirrored, but a new obscure glass door has been added. The original garden, now 'long room' has been recently renovated with wall paper linings and gas console heater. .The whole interior is an expression of Victorian period exuberance and wealth.·HISTORICAL ANALYSISThe Australian Club, allegedly panned early in 1878, must have had considerable and wealthy backing from the outset, to be able to immediately erect a building which was to dominate the area for three decades_______________________________________LEWIS, M- AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECTURE INDEX:Records11614Tayler, Lloyd; Thomson, Alex VIC Clubs Paine, James - Lt Bourke St 1878 10 5 364-Lloyd Tayler, architect.Tenders invited for Club House in William Street. Argus 5.10.1878, p1111613Tayler, Lloyd; George, Josiah VIC Clubs Oak, George - Collingwood 1878 8 24 362-Lloyd Tayler.Tenders- invited for the erection of a club-house in William Street. Argus 24.8.1878, p10 Argus 1.5.1879, p 511621Tayler, Lloyd; Smith, William - bricklayer - Latrobe St VIC Clubs Smith, William 1879 3 15 384-Lloyd TAYLERDesign of Australia Club-House, corner William Street and Chancery Lane.Illus. Perspective11615Tayler, Lloyd; Martin, James VIC Clubs Gray, Robert - Little George St. Coll 1879 5 1 370-The superstructure of the new club-house in William Street is completed. A'asia Sketch, 15.3.1879 p19811616Tayler, Lloyd; Fennessey, Edward VIC Clubs Tye, Thomas - mason - George St Coll 1880 10 29 372-Lloyd Tayler.Tenders invited for the purchase of the flagging, now laid in front of the Australian Club, in William Street.11623Tayler, Lloyd; Higginbotham, Thomas - painter & glazier - Gore Street VIC Clubs Higginbotham, Thomas 1884 7 22 387-Lloyd Tayler.Extension of time for tenders for additions to the Australian Club until 26th inst.11622Tayler, Lloyd; Laurance, William VIC Clubs Laurance, James 1884 7 5 386 -Lloyd Tayler.Tenders wanted for additions to the Australian Club.11617Wilson & Charlesworth; Ware, William - general dealer - Little Collins St VIC Clubs Ware, William 1890 5 17 377-WILSON & CHARLESWORTHCommittee recommends that Wilson & Charlesworth be placed first in competition for design of Australia Club Competition, Melbourne.75428Wilson & Charlesworth Australian Club Melbourne VIC Clubs; alterations McIntosh, D H & W A - 76 Moor St Fitzroy 1891 08 6 5126-MCC registration no 5126 [Burchett Index]. Fee 6.0.0additions to Club building_______________________________________
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| Type | Reference No. | Extent | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 110148 | 1 PDF : 1,312 KB ; A4 | Group of Items (May not be issued, may not be reproduced) |